Machine for applying identifying-marks to cans.



VPATENTED OCT. 8, 1907.

No. 867,928. I E. H. SAWYER. I

MAGHINE FOR APPLYING IDENTIFYING MARKS T0 CANS.

APPLIQATION FILED MAR. 7. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR.

BY I

' ATTORNEYS.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca, wAsnuvcmm-o, c.

No. 867,928. A I PATENTED 001*. a, 1907. 'E. H. SAWYER. MAGHINE'FORAPPLYING IDENTIFYING MARKS 1T0 CANS.

APPLIOATION FILED m. "I. 1901.

2 sums-sum 2.

WJTNESSES:

film,

' ATTORNEYS.

UNT'TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA H. SAWYER, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO BURT MACHINECOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

MACHINE FOR APPLYING IDENTIFYING-MARKS TO CANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

Application filed March '7, 1907. Serial No. 361,048.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA H. SAWYER, of Vineland, in the county ofCumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvementsin Machines for Applying Identification-Marks to Cans, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means whereby the name, or initials of apacker or dealer in canned goods, or some arbitrarily selectedidentifying mark is imprinted on the body of cans or the labels coveringthem, as will hereinafter fully appear. I

The said invention may be incorporated in a machine which has no officeother than that of carrying the cans to and from the marking appliances,in which case should a liquid marking medium be used, and it is founddesirable, heat is applied to the can to dry the impression.

Another application of the invention consists in its incorporation in alabeling machine where the impression is made on the can body, or on thelabel covering the same. Should the impression be made on the can bodyand a label immediately wrapped over it, the impression would betransferred to the inner surface of the label, and in that case theinverted marks would identify the labels should the same be strippedfrom thecans and returned to the packer or dealer for redemption.

In the further description of the said invention which follows,reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof,and in which,"

Figure 1 is a partly sectional side elevation of certain parts of amachine through which cans are conveyed and an identifying mark appliedto them during their passage, without respect to any labeling operation.Fig. 2 is an enlarged partly sectional view of certain parts of themachine as they appear in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of Fig. 2 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrow in that figure. Fig. 4 is a sideview of the entrance end of a can labeling machine in which the markingdevices are incorporated, and illustrating the construction andarrangement employed when the cans are marked before receiving thelabel. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except that the discharge endof the machine is shown, the identifying mark being applied to theoutside of the wrapper or label instead of to the can body.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, 1 represents the bedof the machine, and 2 and 3 respectively, the feed or entrance, and thedelivery run way. 5, 5 denote cans two of which are shown in Figs. 1 and4, and one in Fig. 5. 7, 7 are stands arranged in pairs on the bed 1,the upper ends of whichserve' as bearings for the shafts a to which aresecured the pulleys 9. 10 is an endless conveyer belt carried by thepulleys 9, the lower lay of which serves to transfer the cans along thebed 1 from the entrance to the delivery runway. The pair of stands 7next to the entrance runway is provided with two arms 12 but only one ofthese arms appears, the other being behind. The ends of these armsextend over the entrance runway 2 and are slotted and within the slotsis placed a shaft b to which is fastened a marking wheel 13. A partlysectional side view of the marking wheel on an enlarged scale, is shownin Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the marking wheel 13 has oneflange c integral with the body, and that the body is grooved to receivetype blocks one only of which blocks is represented and denoted by d inFigs. 2 and 3. The marking wheel shaft 11 has a pulley 14 which isdriven from the adjacent shaft a through the medium of a pulley notshown, and the belt e. The cans in passing from the entrance run way tothe bed of the machine, pass under the marking wheel and receive animpression therefrom.

In order that the type blocks may be inked, there is placed overthe'marking wheel an inking roller 15 provided with a felt covering f(see Fig. 2) and above the felt covered roller is an ink distributingroller17. The shafts of the marking wheel and the ink applying anddistributing rollers described, are journaled in bars g, and the shaft hof the felt coated wheel is threaded at its ends and fitted with nuts 9'which serve to prevent dislocation of the inking apparatus. The ends ofthe shaft k of the ink-distributing roller rest loosely in the ends ofarms 19 which are adapted to swing on theshaft a, consequently theinking roller with its attachment is susceptible of being lifted to theextent of the length of the slot in the stationary arms 12. Within anaperture m in the bed 1 is placed a heating burner 20 over which thecans pass when traversing the bed 1, and the position of the said burneris such that the printed mark will be exposed to the flame and be driedby heat.

The application of the invention to a labeling machine so that theidentifying mark will be covered by a label, is shown in Fig. 4, and itwill be seen that the machine differs from the one just described onlyin that the heating and drying burner is omitted, and that a'stack oflabels denoted by 21 is placed in the path of the cans as they traversethe bed 1. In case the impression on the cans is to be transferred tothe inner surface of the labels, it is only necessary to select an inkof the proper fluidity, when the result of having labels marked inreverse for redemption as before stated, is effected.

The arrangement of the invention in order that the impression will bemade on the outside of the labels is shown in Fig. 5 in which theimprinting appliances are situated between the entrance and the deliveryrunways, or in such position that the impression is made on the labels,after the same are applied to the cans.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4 it will be seen that the marking wheel 13being situated over the inclined runway which delivers the cans to thebed of the machine by gravity, also serves to separate or space the canson the bed, an important feature if the cans are to be subsequentlylabeled, or it a mark printed directly on the can body has to be driedby a burner, consequently the usual spacing devices are not required.With the construction shown in Fig. 5 the ordinary spacing devices arerequired, as the marking is performed while the cans are on the bed, andafter the labels are applied to the cans. In both constructions,however, the marking wheel is free to rise and fall thus adapting theapparatus to give a uniform impression should the bodies of the cans bedistorted in shape by indentations, or should the cans vary slightly indiameter.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine for applying identifying marks to cans. a bed, aconveyer belt to carry the cans along the bed, and an inclined runway todeliver cans to the conveyer belt, combined with a marking device placedover the in clincd runway under which the cans p: s and from which thecans receive an impression. substantially as specifiedv '2. In a machinefor applying identifying marks to cans, a bed and a conveyor belt tocarry the cans along the bed, combined with a stand erect on the bed, aswinaingarm supported from the stand, bars pendent troin the swingingarm, and a rotary marking wheel supported by the said pendent barsadapted to bear on the cans as the same pass through the machine,substantially as specified EZRA ll. SAWYIGR. Witnesses D. Lee Snow, 1').C Siron'r.

